In its long history cricket has seen players modifying themselves. Wicket keepers are practicing on their bowling as well. Some keepers have not just bowled but have even managed to take some wickets for their teams. Wicket-keepers taking wickets is a very rare occurrence but when it happens it is always memorable. Here is a look at some instances when wicket-keepers took wickets.
Devon Thomas
West-Indian wicket-keeper, Devon Thomas made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2009. Despite not having the opportunity to bat in the game and without recording a single catch behind the stumps, he made a huge impact with the ball. When Thomas was selected to bowl, Bangladesh was making progress. Before Mahmadullah could get set on the crease, he took the key wicket of him on the second delivery of his first over. He then removed the established batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, who had scored 31 runs.
Mark Boucher
South-African wicket-keeper, Mark Boucher already had a legendary career already while keeping the wickets. He is one of the very few wicket keepers to play nearly 150 test matches. In a test match in 2005 between South Africa and the West Indies in Antigua, both teams scored enormous totals of 588 and 747 on the scoreboard. As Mark Boucher was given the ball, the game appeared to be headed for a slow draw.
Boucher was rewarded for bowling a delivery at a precise length and slow speed by getting the key wicket of Dwayne Bravo. He was well-positioned on the crease and was batting at 107 when Boucher delivered a terrific delivery that carried the ball to Ashwell Prince, who took a simple catch.
Interestingly, it was Boucher’s last ball in his illustrious test career when he took his solitary wicket.
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Tatenda Taibu
Tatenda Taibu represented and even captained the Zimbabwe national team. Taibu has taken up the responsibility of bowling quite a few times.
In the first match of an ODI series against Sri Lanka, Taibu took the bowl in hand and bowled a good spell of four overs where he could not take a wicket. In the fifth ODI match he again took the ball in hand and this time around he took two wickets and even bowled his full quota of 10 overs.
Taibu even managed to take a wicket with the red ball in his hand. In a test series against Sri Lanka in 2004 in the first match at Harare. Taibu even took the wicket of the dangerous batsman Sanath Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya was looking strong having scored 157 runs in the first innings.
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni over the years has done many hard to imagine things on the cricket field. One such instance was seen in South Africa, where India and the West Indies squared off in match number twelve of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy competition. With DE Barnard and TM Dowlin at the crease, the West Indies squad was struggling at 49/4 in 16 overs on a pitch that was ideal for pacers. To the surprise of the crowd and the analysts, Dhoni chose to bowl the 17th over and ordered Dinesh Karthik to keep wickets. He was able to swing the ball and bowl at a respectable pace.
Dowlin sent his first two deliveries to the boundary line, but the fourth delivery was the icing on the cake. A full-length delivery from Dhoni struck Dowlin’s bat with a faint inside edge, rattling the off-stump in the process.
Which current wicket-keeper do you think has the ability to take wickets?
Also Read: Bowlers with most wickets in different phases of the IPL 2022
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